Greenwich, CT – 2/20/01 - Quebecor World George Rice & Sons in Los Angeles has played a key supporting role in the upcoming 73rd Annual Academy Awards. Nationally-known as a leader in showcase-quality printing, George Rice was selected to print the official commemorative poster for the Oscars®, which ABC Television will broadcast on Sunday, March 25th. On January 17th, the George Rice facility of Quebecor World's Commercial Direct Group was abuzz with TV crews and reporters to cover the printing of the Oscars® poster and its celebrity designer. Among the national and local TV and print media attending were ABC-TV, E!, Access Hollywood, KCOP-TV, American Chinese TV, AP and Reuters. Poster designer Alex Swart was on hand to provide final, on-press creative approval as the posters rolled off the press, as well as to respond to questions from the media. An award-winning graphic designer and principal of the SwartAd agency in Los Angeles, Swart’s prior work for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences includes five annual reports and a retrospective “Best Picture” poster. Mr. Swart credited Quebecor World George Rice & Sons as an indispensable factor in the project’s success. “For a poster designer, choosing a production team is a matter of trust,” he says. “I need to trust that the team handling the pre-press color work is dedicated to realizing the designer’s vision. I also require state-of-the-art expertise and technology.” To be entrusted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with the design and printing of the 2001 commemorative Oscars® poster makes those requirements even more crucial, says Swart. For this reason, Quebecor World George Rice and Sons was his printer of choice.